Type value selecting means in postage meters



Feb. 23, 1965 H. SONNTAG TYPE VALUE SELECTING MEANSIN POSTAGE METERSFiled May 17, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 23, 1965 H. SONNTAG TYPE VALUEsswc'rmc MEANS IN POSTAGE mamas 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 19615Feb. 23, 1965 SONNTAG 3,170,392

TYPE VALUE smzc'rmc Imus m POSTAGE umms Filed 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR Feb. 23, 1965 H. SONNTAG 3,170,392

TYPE VALUE smzc'rmc mums m POSTAGE METERS Filed May 17, 1963 v 4Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,170,392 TYPE VALUE SELECTING MEANSIN POSTAGE METERS Helmut Sonntag, Kalbach, Taunus, Germany, assignor toTelefonbau und Normalzeit G.m.b.H., Frankfurt am Main, Germany Filed May17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,134 Claims priority, application Germany June 2,1962 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-91) This invention relates to postage meters.

It is one object of this invention to provide improved postage meters,and more particularly to provide postage meters that can be operated inan easier or more convenient way than prior art postage meters.

Another object of this invention is to provide postage meters that lendthemselves to be operated with one single hand.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved operating meansfor postage meters of the kind disclosed in United States Patent2,187,456 to Erich Komusin, January 16, 1940, Printing Apparatus; inUnited States Patent 3,002,686 to Friedrich Heil and Horst Springer,October 3, 1961, Postage Meters, and in United States Patent 3,078,791to Friedrich Heil, Selector for Postage Meters, February 26, 1963.

This invention is more particularly concerned with postage meterswhichare adapted to make an imprint on the surface of a letter, or astrip of paper, as the entire meter is being moved over the surface tobe imprinted.

It is a further object of this invention to provide postage meters ofthe aforementioned character having selector means adapted to beoperated by the same hand of an operator which is being used by him tomove the meter over the surface to be imprinted.

Postage meters comprise selector means and type means which mustselectively be brought into, and out of, engagement. During theadjusting operation of the meters, i.e. preparatory to the printingoperation thereof, the selector means are brought into engagement, oroperatively coupled, with the type means. The aforementioned selectormeans must be disengaged or uncoupled from the aforementioned type meanswhen it is intended to operate the latter to make an imprint on a givensurface to be imprinted.

It is a further object of this invention to provide postage metersadapted to be moved over the surface to be imprinted and having selectormeans, type means and coupling and uncoupling means for selectivelycoupling and uncoupling said selector means and said type means, whereinall said means areadapted to be operated by the same hand of theoperator which is used by him to move the meter over the surface to beimprinted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be obviousand in part appear" hereinafter.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be hadto the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereoftaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 9

FIG. 1 is in part an isometric side view and in part an isometricsection showing the coupling mechanism between the selector means andthe type means of a postage meter embodying the present invention, FIG.1 further showing certain parts associated with the above couplingmechanism, the type means of the meter being omitted in FIG. 1;

FIG. la shows the same structure as FIG. 1 in a different operatingposition;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the meter structure shown in FIG. 1 asseen from the rear of FIG. 1 and shows some of the constituent parts ofthe meter in the rest position thereof and the hand of an operator readyto operate the meter; and

3,170,392 Patented Feb. 23, 1965 FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the meterstructure shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear of FIG. 1 and shows someof the constituent parts of the meter in the operating position thereofand the hand of an operator operating the meter.

Referring now to the drawings, reference character 2 has been applied toindicate a side panel of the housing of the meter which panel is used asa mounting plate for supporting shaft 1. The latter has one end in theform of a screw head, as clearly shown in FIG. 1 Shaft 1 pivotallysupports a coupling lever 3 which, in turn, supports a solid shaft 4.Mounted on solid shaft 4 are two hollow shafts 5 and 6 as can be seen inFIG. 2. Number disc 7 and gear 8 are integral with solid shaft 4. Numberdisc 9 and gear 10 are integral with hollow shaft 5, and number disc 11and gear 12 are integral with hollow shaft 6. Each number disc isprovided with a selecting lever or adjusting lever 13.

Reference numerals 14, 15 and 16 have been applied to indicate threegears adapted to operate the printing means of the meter which have notbeen illustrated in the drawings. 17 and hollow shafts 18 and 19,respectively. Gears 8, 10 and 12 are adapted to be brought into and outof, meshing engagement with gears 14, 15 and 16. If the movement ofnumber discs 7, 9 and 11 is to be transmitted to gears 14, 15 and 16 bythe intermediary of gears 8, 10, and 12, coupling lever 3 must bepivoted about its shaft 1 to its operative position, i.e. incounterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1. Then gears 8, 10 and 12are brought into meshing engagement with gears 14, 15, and 16. Whengears 8, 10 and 12 are out of meshing engagement with gears 14, 15 and16, each of the former is engaged by one of the three pawls 40. Theoperation of gear engaging pawls has no bearing on the presentinvention. Their operation is more fully described in the aforementionedUS. Patent 3,078,791 to Friedrich Heil.

Coupling lever 3 supports a U-shaped bracket 33 which, in turn, supportsby means of its flanges a shaft 39. Latching lever 20 'is pivotallymounted on shaft 39. Bracket 38 is provided with a tab 21 having anaperture into which one end of a helical spring 22 is inserted. Theopposite end of spring 22 is fastened to a pin 23 mounted on mountingplate 2 and projecting at right angles therefrom. Spring 22 biasescoupling lever 3 in clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1, thus tendingto maintain coupling lever 3 in its position of rest or second limitposition, in which position coupling lever 3 is shown in FIG. 1 Tab 24is integral with latching lever 20 and is adapted to be engaged by anabutment pin 25 supported by, and projecting at right angles from, plate2. In the position of the parts of the meter shown in FIG. 1 tab 24 andpin 25 are in abutting engagement.

It will be apparent from FIG. 1 that plate 2 and coupling lever 3 arearranged in parallel planes and that latching lever 20 is movable atright angles to the aforementioned parallel planes.

Latching lever 20 supports a pin 26 projecting rearwardly as seen inFIG. 1. Plate 2 is provided with a substantially -U-shaped cut-outadapted to be engaged by pin 26 of latching lever 20. Latching lever 20is under the bias of a rat-trap-spring 28 mounted on shaft 39 andbiasing latching lever 20 in such a fashion that pin'26 tends to enterinto, or engage, U-shaped cutout 27. Such engagement can, however, onlyoccur when coupling lever 3 has been pivoted about shaft 1 from its restposition or second limit position shown in FIG. 1 to its operatingposition, or first limit position, i.e. when coupling lever 3 has beenpivoted in counterclockwise direction against the bias of spring 22 fromits position shown in FIG. 1. Latching lever 20 is provided wtih anoperating member 29 intended to be engaged by the forefinger Gears 14,15 and 16 are mounted on solid shaft Cf the operator 'of the meter inorder to shift coupling lever 3 from its position of rest to itsoperating position. The upper surface 30 of the housing of the postagemeter is provided with another operating member 31 intended to beengaged by the right thumb 32 of the operator of the meter. Operatingmember .31 has two functio'ris. It forms abutment for positioning theright thumb 32 er the operator and is in the shape of a convex tabsubstantially conforming to the shape of the surface of the operatorsright thumb. Member 31 is referred to as an operating member because ofits second function which is to make it possible for the operator of thepostage meter to grasp the meter to move the entire meter bodily overthe mail to be postmarked. When the right thumb 32 of the operatorengages operating member 31, the tip of thumb 32 is situated right overthe levers 13 for operating the number discs 7, 9, and 11. In thatparticular position of the hand of the operator his forefinger 33 canreadily reach the operating member 29 of the latching lever 20.

Operating member 29 is provided with an outer pressure receiving surface34 adapted to be abuttingly engaged by the tip of the right forefingerof the operator of the postage meter. Applying pressure against outerpressure-receiving surface 34 of operating member 29 causes a pivotalmovement of coupling lever 3 from its position shown in FIG. 1 to itsoperating position. When coupling lever 3 has been pulled to the laterposition pin 26 of latching lever 20 snaps into cut-out 27 and latchescoupling lever 3 firmly in position. Now the operator of the meter mayat will readily adjust the three number discs 7, 9, and 11. This iseffected with the tip of his thumb 32 by manipulating levers 13 andwithout changing the general position of his right hand, or removing hisright hand from the postage meter.

The outer end of shaft 4 supports a disc of sheet metal having a lateralarm 36 projecting over number discs 7, 9, 11. Lateral arm 36 is providedwith a rectangular cut-out or window 35 exposing to view the numberselected by manipulating selector or adjusting levers 13.

Operating member 29 is provided with a front abutment orpressure-receiving surface to which reference numeral 37 has beenapplied. Applying a short pressure impulse upon abutment orpressure-receiving surface 37 causes pin 26 to be moved out of cut-out27, thus allowing lever 3 to be retracted under the bias of spring 22 toits position of rest or second limit position shown in FIG. 1.

Now the meter is ready to be moved by the hand of the operator over oracross the surface to be imprinted. While this is effected the hand ofthe operator remains still in the initial position thereof, in whichposition coupling of the type adjusting gear 14, 15, 16 of the meterwith the selector discs 7, 9, 11 thereof, adjustment of the latter anduncoupling of the type adjusting gears 14, 15, 16 of the meter from theselector discs 7, 9, 11 thereof has been carried out.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that postage meters embodyingthis invention comprise a housing having a top surface 30 and having alateral surface or plate surface 2 forming an edge at this intersectionof the aforementioned two surfaces. The levers 13 for controlling thenumber discs 7, 9 and 11 and the dual function operating member 29 formanually coupling and uncoupling gears 8, 10, 12 and gears 14, 15, 16and for releasing the latching mechanism 26, 27 are arranged close tothe forementioned edge and so is the thumb enaging abutment part 31.Thus parts 13, 29, and 31 can readily be reached by various fingers ofthe hand of the operator without the need of changing the position ofthe entire hand relative to the casing or housing of the postage meter.

It will also be observed that the distance between adjusting levers 13and the position of operating member 29 when coupling lever 3 is in itssecond limit position (FIGS. 1 and 3) is less than the distance of thespan between the tip of a forefinger and the tip of the thumb of apostage meter operator.

Coupling lever 3 and latching lever 20 are adapted to pivot in differentdirections relative to plate 2 and spring 22 and 23 are adapted to biaslevers 3 and 20 in different directions. Pressure exerted against thepressurereceiving surface 34 of operating member 29 causes jointmovement of coupling lever 3 and of latching lever '20 from the secondlimit position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the first limit position shownin FIG. 2. This pivotal movement is effected against the bias of spring22. The second pressure-receiving surface 37 of operating member 29 isarranged at an angle to pressure-receiving surface 34. Pressure exertedagainst the pressure-receiving surface 34- of operating member 29 causesdisengagement of parts 26 and 27 against the bias of rat-trap-spring 28.

FIG. la shows the couplinglever 3 in its operative position, or firstlimit position, when moved counterclockwise from the position shown inFIG. 1.

It will be understood that I have illustrated and described herein apreferred embodiment of my invention, and that various alterations maybe made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A postage meter comprising in combination:

(a) selector means;

(12) type adjusting means;

(0) a pivotable coupling lever supporting said selector means, saidcoupling lever having a first limit position for causing operativeengagement between said selector means and said type adjusting means andsaid coupling lever having a second limit position for causing operativedisengagement of said selector means from said type adjusting means;

(01) a first pivot means supporting said coupling lever;

(e) a latching lever;

(f) a second pivot means arranged angularly with respect to said firstpivot means supported by said coupling lever and supporting saidlatching lever;

(g) fixed latching means adapted to be engaged by said latching lever tomaintain said coupling lever in said first limit position thereof;

(it) a first spring exerting a bias upon said coupling lever in adirection from said first limit position thereof to said second limitposition thereof;

(i) a second spring tending to cause resilient engagement between saidlatching lever and said fixed latching means, said second springexerting a bias upon said latching lever in a direction angularlyrelated to said first mentioned direction; and

(j) an operating member integral with said latching lever formanipulating said coupling lever against the bias of said first springand for manipulating said latching lever against the bias of said secondspring.

2. A postage meter comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having a top surface and lateral surfaces;

(b) a first operating member on said top surface forming an abutmentadapted to be engaged by a finger of a meter operator to move saidhousing over matter to be imprinted;

(c) a plurality of pivotable number discs on one of said lateralsurfaces arranged immediately adjacent said first operating means;

(d) a plurality of number disc gears each integral with one of saidplurality of number discs;

(e) a plurality of type adjusting gears;

(f) a movable coupling lever supporting said plurality of number discsand said plurality of disc gears, said coupling lever being adapted tobe moved to a first limit position for causing operative engagementbetween said plurality of number disc gears and said plurality of typeadjusting gears and to be moved to a second limit position for causingoperative disengagement of said plurality of number disc gears from saidplurality of type adjusting gears;

(g) a latching means supported by and movable relative to said couplinglever for latching said coupling lever in said first limit positionthereof;

(h) a first spring exerting a bias upon said coupling lever in adirection from said first limit position thereof toward said secondlimit position thereof;

(i) a second spring for rendering said latching means operative biasingsaid latching means in a direction angularly related to said firstmentioned direction; and

(j) a second operating member integral with said latching means formoving said latching means jointly with said coupling lever against thebias of said first spring from said second limit position thereof tosaid first limit position thereof and for effecting relative movementbetween said latching means and said coupling lever against the bias ofsaid second spring means, said second operating member being arrangedsufiiciently close to said first operating member to allow said firstoperating member and said second operating member to be engaged bydifferent fingers of the same hand of an operator of the postage meter.

3. A postage meter comprising in combination:

(a) selector means;

(b) first shaft means supporting said selector means;

(6) type adjusting means;

(d) second shaft means arranged parallel to said first shaft means; a

(e) a coupling lever defining a general plane pivotally supported bysaid second shaft means and supporting said first shaft means, saidcoupling lever having a first limit position for causing operativeengagement between said selector means and said type adjusting means andsaid coupling lever having a second limit position for causing operativedisengagement of said selector means from said type adjusting means;

(f) a supporting plate arranged parallel to said general plane andsupporting said second shaft means;

(g) pivot means on said coupling lever defining a pivoting axisextending substantially parallel to said general plane;

(h) a latching lever supported by said pivot means pivotable within aplane substantially at right angles to said general plane;

(i) a fixed latching means formed by a portion of said plate adapted tobe cooperatively engaged by said latching lever;

(i) a first spring interposed between said coupling lever and said platebiasing said coupling lever from said first limit position thereoftoward said second limit position thereof;

(k) a second spring interposed between said coupling lever and saidlatching lever tending to bias said latching lever into engagement withsaid fixed latching means; and

(I) an operating member integral with said latching lever formanipulating said latching lever and said coupling lever through theintermediary of said latching lever.

4. A postage meter as specified in claim 3 wherein said operating memberis provided with a first pressure-receiving surface for pivoting saidlatching lever and said coupling lever jointly against the bias of saidfirst spring, and wherein said operating member is provided with asecond pressure-receiving surface arranged at an angle to said firstpressure receiving surface for pivoting said latching lever relative tosaid coupling lever against the bias of said second spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,187,456 Komusin Jan. 16, 1940 2,727,687 Komusin Dec. 20, 19553,002,686 Heil et al Oct. 3, 1961 3,078,791 Heil Feb. 26, 1963

1. A POSTAGE METER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) SELECTOR MEANS; (B)TYPE ADJUSTING MEANS; (C) A PIVOTABLE COUPLING LEVER SUPPORTING SAIDSELECTOR MEANS, SAID COUPLING LEVER HAVING A FIRST LIMIT POSITION FORCUASING OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID SELECTOR MEANS AND SAID TYPEADJUSTING MEANS AND SAID COUPLING LEVER HAVING A SECOND LIMIT POSITIONFOR CAUSING OPERATIVE DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID SELECTOR MEANS FROM SAIDTYPE ADJUSTING MEANS; (D) A FIRST PIVOT MEANS SUPPORTING SAID COUPLINGLEVER; (E) A LATCHING LEVER; (F) A SECOND PIVOT MEANS ARRANGED ANGULARLYWITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST PIVOT MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID COUPLING LEVERAND SUPPORTING SAID LATCHING LEVER; (G) FIXED LATCHING MEANS ADAPTED TOBE ENGAGED BY SAID LATCHING LEVER TO MAINTAIN SAID COUPLING LEVER INSAID FIRST LIMIT POSITION THEREOF; (H) A FIRST SPRING EXERTING A BIASUPON SAID COUPLING LEVER IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID FIRST LIMIT POSITIONTHEREOF TO SAID SECOND LIMIT POSITION THEREOF; (I) A SECOND SPRINGTENDING TO CAUSE RESILIENT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID LATCHING LEVER ANDSAID FIXED LATCHING MEANS, SAID SECOND SPRING EXERTING A BIAS UPON SAIDLATCHING LEVER IN A DIRECTION ANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID FIRST MENTIONEDDIRECTION; AND (J) AN OPERATING MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID LATCHING LEVERFOR MANIPULATING SAID COUPLING LEVER AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID FIRSTSPRING AND FOR MANIPULATING SAID LATCHING LEVER AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAIDSECOND SPRING.